Episode Details

The BYU Cougars turn heads in college athletics with a landmark, multi-year jersey sponsorship from Entrata, a Utah-born tech unicorn estimated to be worth over $4 billion. With Adam Edmunds, a BYU alum and Entrata CEO, stepping up to invest potentially up to $5 million annually, BYU signals its emergence as a financial juggernaut in the Big 12. While Utah fans tout a potential $500 million private equity deal with Otro Capital Partners and scramble to organize grassroots “UteCoin” pledges, the Cougars quietly leverage a deep network of tech-savvy boosters, fueling the athletic department’s ambitions without relying on campus subsidies. Jake Hatch breaks down this new era of college athletics financing, examining how BYU and Texas Tech are pulling away as the Big 12’s fiscal leaders and why Utah’s approach faces new challenges in the NIL and private equity arenas.

Hatch spotlights the advantages of BYU’s financial model—boosted by influential alumni like Jason McGowan of Crumbl and potentially Ryan Smith—while questioning the sustainability and transparency of Utah’s fledgling alternative routes. From Kalani Sitake’s top-10 national salary to the hiring of NBA-talent Kevin Young as men’s basketball coach, BYU’s resources are sparking tangible success on the field and the court. The discussion explores whether the Cougars can keep extending this advantage and how NCAA rules, now allowing up to two jersey patch sponsors, should create even more opportunity before the football season kicks off. Will BYU continue to raise the bar or will rivals narrow the financial gap?

Beyond the numbers, fans get to celebrate BYU legend Danny Ainge’s overdue enshrinement into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Hatch relives Ainge’s iconic “dash to glory” to the Elite Eight, considers future Hall contenders like Jimmer Fredette and Krešimir Ćosić, and reflects on how each generation of BYU greats has built on the last—from Stan Watts to Dave Rose, and now Kevin Young. Are the Cougars on the cusp of cementing their national legacy in both football and basketball? Don’t miss insights on upcoming player interviews, season previews, and a look at how BYU’s booster power could shape the NCAA landscape for years to come.

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Jake Hatch brings you daily coverage of the BYU Cougars with the Locked On Cougars Podcast. Locked On Cougars brings BYU fans the latest news and comprehensive coverage when it comes to the BYU football and basketball programs as well as a look at the other teams in the BYU athletic department. Jake gives you his unique insights and insider information about the Cougs as they continue "on the trail to fame and glory" every weekday, along with interviews with players, coaches, experts, and alumni that you will not find anywhere else.

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